Skins series six premiere – reviewed

As is the tradition with Skins, last year we were introduced to a brand new generation of characters that would lead us through the hit UK show. Just one problem – personally we didn’t think they were as good as those who came before…

Mini, Alo, Grace and co. are set to return for their final run of Skins soon and for those of you wondering if they finally do the show justice (whilst going out with a bang), have no fear – we’ve got the answers! Keep reading for our review of Skins series six, episode one.

Being the cool and important types that we are (er?), MP! was invited to last night’s premiere of the opening episode of Skins series six. Lounging comfortably in our chairs with the lights around the big screen dimmed we felt more than ready to give the new kids another chance. “People often ask us why there isn’t a Skins movie,” said creator Bryan Elsley during his introduction to the exclusive screening, “and it’s because we have this.”

The truth is, the first episode really does feel like a Skins movie. Looking more expensive than ever and shot on location in Morocco, the story unfolds around the gang’s summer holiday before term starts again. Of course there’s the usual scenes of drug-taking, partying, boob jokes and unlikely sexual encounters – but things also begin to take a sinister turn when Franky (who’s now going through a rough patch with Matty) finds solace in a creepy new character.

The characters themselves have definitely improved too – coming a long way from the one-dimensional stereotypes they were last year. The most dramatic change occurs in Franky, The once shy, androgynous teenager has morphed into a stronger, headstrong young woman, reminding us at times of classic character Effy. Mini actually jokes in the episode, “I miss when she might or might not have been a lesbian” – we don’t!

And then there’s the big twist. An incredible moment near the end that sets the tone for the rest of the series, pitting characters against one another and completely ripping apart our favourite story-line from series five in one, jaw-dropping stunt that was so ambitious, we’re told it took weeks to plan and organise.

Skins is back and it’s bigger and better than ever before. We’re still not entirely convinced by the new cast, but we can’t wait to watch what will no doubt be an explosive final outing.

I really don’t understand how gen 3 could be considered one dimensional, to be honest. If I’m being honest, it was one of the far more complex generations. Far more realistic than gen 2. The complexities were subtle, but they seemed real.

You took the words right out of my mouth. To be frank I think people who disliked this Gen preferred the crazy excessive partying and drugs of can-do-no-wrong, unbelievable and really unlikable characters who despite being all party-crazy and stuff still get to go into HARVARD. Wtf. This is why I always loved Gen 3 and I was so looking forward to Skins going in that direction. I guess not now, huh? *sighs*

How are these characters one-dimensional stereotypes? I loved S5, the characters felt so much more believable and real, like I see snippets of them in people I know in real life. Even those who seemed to come from stereotypes were deconstructed to become great characters, Mini and Alo and Rich. Effy was badly written in S4, even less one-dimensional that she always have been. For Franky – who I really liked because you know just because she’s ‘shy, androgynous’ she was a STRONG person – to become like Effy – how on earth is she ‘head-strong’, anyway? All I got was a crazy, selfish girl who broke up a friendship and says ‘nobody breaks my heart’ in her do-no-wrong-voice. Ugh. – is very disappointing.

Yup, getting a girliness upgrade definitely makes a character “stronger, headstrong”, because it’s way more interesting to follow the pack mentality… Especially when they made such a big deal over her androgyny in her initial episode, and how she just wants to be herself and “not a bulimic barbie”. The delicious irony. Oh, and what’s with your remark on not missing Mini and Franky’s ambiguous sexuality from season 5 — homophobic much?

Actually I don’t think it’s homophobic – Mini and Franky’s ambiguous sexuality as you put it, from last season, was an interesting storyline but it played right into the melodrama which ‘Skins’ can slip into all too easy. This is not saying that teenagers going through sexuality crises are being melodramatic – far from it, it’s a central and wonderful part of who they are and to suggest that they’re downplaying that is insulting – but against the backdrop of a fictionalised TV show, it could be seen to be too pandering to the minority of an audience who tuned in just to see if they would kiss (hence some people’s’ problems with the Liv/Franky kiss in the S5 finale) as well eating up too much screentime to get the point across that Franky is pansexual and that Mini is confused in her life.

As for Franky, she’s a great example of an androgynous, pansexual character on TV but the reviewer’s comments still stand – Franky can dress a bit ‘girlier’ without compromising herself and if you compare now to Franky at S5, she’s evolved in terms of being more confident and indeed stronger. Just because she’s stronger and a strong female character, that doesn’t mean she can’t wear what she wants or explore her feminity, just as equally as her masculinity. She won’t be following the pack mentality – there’s no way she’s going to be as girly as Grace or as skimpily as Mini and Liv can dress, it doesn’t fit in with her character – but there’s no reason why she can’t wear what she wants as a constantly evolving and transforming person. That’s like saying a person can only dress in one defined style or act as this one kind of person.

i agree with this actually. I didn’t really like generation 3 that much i dunno i just can’t get warmed up to them and they/their stories don’t feel as skins-y so i dunno but i just finished watching the first episode of S6 and i liked it so i hope this season bumps them up a bit, but they’ll never be the same as the past generations<3

It’s boring and awful and gone downhill– don’t curr about Franky’s Effy vagina, or anyone else on this show tbh. Only people I care about are Alex/Liv/Rich, occasionally Alo when he isn’t enamored with Mini. So happy this show is cancelled because the writing quickly became atrocious.

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